For Japanese and English Language Learners

手 in various words

A man has two hands.He controls his hands for doing a job.The hands are expected to move harmoniously, in accordance with his intention.

A person who has some intention and skill controls his hands for performing moves/actions/activities needed to accomplish an objective.

This is the basic structure behind the words which involve the letter “手(て, しゅ)”.

Let’s abstract the structure as the figure below. A director commands his subordinates, the subordinates execute the actions that function to get the objective done. “Subordinates” can be not only people but also things. This abstraction helps you understand the various usages related to “手”.